Welcome back Grown-ish fans! “A Piece of Light” was definitely lighter in tone than the past couple of weeks and I for one am grateful. This week we finally get back to campus life and school and of course Zoey’s internship she needs to graduate. La La Anthony is guest-starring as Esme, her idea stealing boss.
Aaron is a TA and takes his responsibility to educate young minds SERIOUSLY. Vivek has nothing to do meanwhile, but clean the house and finish out his mandatory community service. I hope they give Vivek another path, to finish school and not just let his storyline drop off.
Jazz has to go to therapy in order to keep her track scholarship, but a word to the wise, if all you are going to die lie to your therapist and not deal with your issues, then why are you there? Grown-ish “A Piece Of Light” was comically entertaining, so let’s get to it, shall we.
The Devil Wears Prada or Maybe Just a Z
Zoey is currently loving her new internship and honestly, she is really good at it. Zoey is a people pleaser, and she is able to multi-task; two things she greatly needs in her new role. I’m not quite sure how long Esme will be around? I wanted to like her character, but she wasn’t fleshed out enough to me. Most of what I learned about Esme I learned through Zoey, and I wanted to understand Esme as a character.
Yes, Esme is a black female entrepreneur, and she is a fashion icon, she is talented but I think she is stuck creatively and so this led her to steal Zoey’s letterman jacket idea. Guys, it wasn’t the cutest thing I’ve seen Zoey design, I mean it reeked of 1997, era letterman jacket hype, BUT I will give Zoey a pass because she was just sketching her ideas minding her own business when Esme walked by and the sketch caught her eye. Real creatives can take an idea like Zoey’s and make it better, flesh it out, or collaborate, so Esme’s resolve to just steal the idea and post it as her own left me as furious as Zoey. Like Damn! FOR REAL.
Zoey is floored to find HER creation in the studio the next day and all the praise being heaped on Esme. FUCK THAT. What really sucks is Zoey knows she needs this internship to graduate and Dre will come unglued if she fucks this up too. Hell, I will come unglued. I need this to work for Zoey. Luca is taking my side in all of this and tells Zoey she should fight for her design and call Esme out. I agree but I see Ana’s point too of just staying quiet so she graduates on time.
It’s such a hard decision, and I feel Zoey’s reluctance to stand up for herself. As Black women, we want to support one another and lift each other up, not tear one another down. Zoey wants Esme to RISE and she knows how hard it must be to do in a predominantly white career field. Look, I GET IT ZOEY. I do. Too bad Luca doesn’t and he posts that shit on Twitter with the hashtag exposing Esme for the costumed thief she is. Ooops! Luca. I know you were only coming from a place of love but you overstepped.
Late Registration
Awwww, remember baby Aaron, from freshman year. How the tables have turned! He is a TA now, teaching in the very room where he first met all of his friends and his future wife. I have always liked Aaron, he is outspoken, funny, charming and he truly cares about Black people elevating themselves and doing better than generations past.
Aaron is tasked with teaching a Black History class to a bunch of non-interested generation Z’s. These kids are the worst, how are their parents paying tuition? I understood Aaron’s need to go shirtless to get their attention. What? I said it. All this does is make matters worse and he is demoted, but not really because he ends up teaching a night class.
You guys, this was the very opening scene of Grown-ish season one! Zoey tells the audience that this class would eventually change her life even though she at that point didn’t know it yet. Aaron says the same thing to these kids! The class even had doppelgangers of the cast. I loved it! BUT I don’t want to see a spin-off, thank you, just get through graduation, please.
We also need to talk about Jazz. She’s been going to therapy because she is in danger of losing her track scholarship since she refuses to run. Where is Sky? How is she still in Japan? Anyway, Jazz has been lying to her therapist the entire 3 weeks, and basically told her the plot of Step Up 2. LMAO! Damn Jazz! It was really funny though, but her therapist was like you got to go, because you are not being real.
This moment is a turning point for Jazz, who is tough as nails on the outside and doesn’t let people in easily. Jazz is afraid, and vulnerable, and frightened she is worthless if she doesn’t run track. I finally witnessed Jazz letting her guard down and opening up on a level she doesn’t even do with her friends. The therapist is not there to judge her, she is there to help Jazz heal and face her insecurities. I really hope Jazz continues to go to therapy and that we see some real growth from her, but baby steps Jazz, baby steps.
Grown-ish airs Thursdays 8/7c on Freeform.
